Let Me Kill You
by littlehan-solo22
Summary: Aster (no, not the Dark Aster) simply cannot imagine herself teaming up with a woman, a raccoon (avoid getting scratched), a tree thing, a tattooed man, and a douchebag to take down one of the most evil villains in the galaxy. She also didn't expect to meet a man with white hair in a giant head thing, or go on crazy missions with said group of people above, or dance. But she did.
1. Chapter 1

**heyo people~ littlehan-solo22 here and ready 2 write! my friend is a huge fan of gotg (she loves everything marvel, really) and she asked me 2 write a story for her so here I am doing this cuz I'm nice**

 **truth be told I practically forgot the whole movie I only know some bits and pieces from my memory and from clips on YouTube so everything in here might not be entirely accurate to the movie events so... yea just a warning 4 u**

 **lets get started honestly I have no idea where this is gonna go so... bear w/ me and let me know if I should continue or not**

Chapter 1

I take a deep breath, trying my best to relax when someone bumps into me, hard, throwing me to the ground.

"Hey!" I snap, my head looking left and right, searching for the dumb piece of crap who bumped into me. I seriously have no tolerance for stuff like this.

"Hey, yourself! Can't you see a guy like me coming through?" A guy with brown hair stands up, brushing himself in a "dignified" manner.

Who the hell is this guy? He pisses me off.

"Well, my back was turned! Why don't you take those big guns of yours-" I point to the blasters hanging at his hip, "and shove them in your mouth? Or even better, your a-"

All of a sudden, I'm slammed to the ground again, getting a mouthful of pavement. A woman dressed in black jumps over me, her black-and-purple hair waving in the wind, and starts to go after the turd, who yells and starts to run.

"HEY!" I scream, fingering my plasma guns. "GET BACK HERE AND LET ME KILL YOU!" And with my battle cry, I chase after them, pushing people aside and yelling profanities at the two in front of me.

And that's when something thin wraps around my waist, pulling me into the air. Screaming, I start to swing my legs, and I try to kick at the thing trapping me.

" _Oi! Get the hell out of our way!_ " The thing drops me, and I turn my head to see a giant tree thing and a raccoon.

What the hell?! Now they piss me off!

"No! _You get the hell out of my way!_ " I dash past them, the raccoon hollering something to the tree thing.

With an extra burst of speed, I catch up to the douche and the woman, who are fighting with each other, and tackle them to the ground. They both collapse, and turn to me with a sharp glare.

Then, that's when all hell breaks loose. The douche grabs me and tries to wrestle me to the ground. I smack him in the back of neck and trip him. All of a sudden, he's put in a giant bag by the tree thing.

The woman comes up to the bag and opens it, but immediately gets hit with an electric shock, sending her twitching to the ground. The douche gets up from the bag, glares at me, and runs off...

And then falls to the ground, hollering something while blue sparks erupt from his body.

"Yeah. Writhe, little man," I hear the raccoon say behind me.

Without thinking, I laugh.

"You find that funny?" the raccoon says to me. I nod, still chuckling from what I had just seen. Slowly, he grins. "Nice."

The tree thing starts to whine. The raccoon mutters, "Oh, they'll grow back, you dumb idiot; quit whining-"

Then all of a sudden, the two are enveloped in a glowing light and are lifted into the air. I stare at them until I feel a pair of handcuffs go around my waist.

"What the hell- Hey! Let me go!" I scream, kicking at the person, yelling obscenities left and right.

I'm so busy yelling that I don't notice what's happening until I hear the words, "By the authority of the Nova Corps, you are under arrest."

 _Arrest? Arrest?! The douche and the woman started it! Hey! Come on!_

[...]

"Hayden Asterick Skylar. Terran. Accidently boarded a Rajak spacecraft at age 10, and trained to be a cold-blooded killer. Went off to be a thief for hire because, and I quote, 'it sounded fun.' Mostly goes by the name 'Aster.'"

"Like the ship?"

"Nope."

The man chuckles lightly. "What a bunch of a-holes."

I sneer at them, blowing a lock of blond hair away from my face, and casting a glare toward the small group formed of: Gamora (the woman), Rocket Raccoon (self explanatory), Groot (the tree thing), and Peter Jason Quill (self-proclaimed "Star-Lord" and the douche). Glaring at them (the douche especially), I shove my hands deeper into my pockets.

And the words I knew where gonna be said.

"Transport all five to the Kyln."

My God. If I don't die, I am gonna kill somebody first.

 **umm... this is all I have so far if I decide this is good I will keep updating so yea let me know if I should keep this up and see ya later have a good day :)**

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	2. Chapter 2

**heyo people~ littlehan-solo22** **here and ready 2 write! it's been a while since I ever wrote something so here I am... ok let's go**

 **the events in this story may not have occurred in the movie, and some parts might be added or left off or just plain incorrect... just a warning**

Chapter 2

After getting settled into the Kyln (and nearly getting stabbed by a thrown steak knife), and getting some well-deserved shut eye, I wake up to see... Is that a butt?

"Oi. Wake up."

Groaning loudly, I turn my head to see the douchebag, Peter, shaking me. I'd rather see the raccoon. Or even better, the tree!

"Hey, you! Wake up!"

"Ugh..." I mutter, slapping his hand away and rubbing my head. "What do you want?"

"To wake your pretty face up, obviously. Say, you look kinda cute when you sleep-"

"Shut up," I say, slapping his face. "What is it you really want?"

He grumbles, something about "cute chicks" and "hands". "Fine. Me and the others from yesterday made a plan on how to escape. Also, we made a plan on what to do with the Orb."

Sighing, I shuffle to my feet, ignoring the hand he offered me, and we start walking toward the mess hall. "Great; nice plan. Why are you telling me this?"

He steps into place with me. "I just figured you might be interested in joining us on it. I mean, you're Aster, the legendary thief. Someone with your skill might come in handy."

I glare at him, then stand in the line for breakfast.

"Well, in case you change your mind," he whispers in my ear, "we're right behind you. I'd hate to leave a pretty girl like you behind bars."

And with that, I feel him leave. I gather my food, and find an isolated spot to eat.

But I can't help but think. The douche said that they were going to do something with the Orb. I've heard rumors about it, and if they really do plan on doing something with it, then it might not hurt to be a part of it. Heck, I might even earn some units.

Also, it doesn't hurt to be out of prison early.

I look up from my food (which I barely touched), and see that the raccoon (Rocket), the woman (Gamora), and Peter are hunched over a table, obviously plotting something.

And that's when I notice the tree (Groot). It's pulling something out of a box, and immediately, lights start flashing, and an alarm starts to blare throughout the building.

The small group disbands, and they go their separate ways. Peter looks at me and waves.

"Aster! You've got to decide now!" he yells, and he goes off into the crowd.

My mind is racing, and the pounding of feet makes it hard for me to think clearly.

 _Oh, why the hell not?_ I think to myself, and I push myself up and run after him.

[...]

"Hey!" I yell over all the noise, moving between the waves of people towards the douche, who jogs towards me with a prosthetic leg in his hand. "What's the plan?"

He grins. "Follow me." He grabs my hand and drags me towards the small group, who are now running up some stairs. I notice a dude with red tattoos all around his body, and I look at Peter, who shrugs.

"Name is Drax. Wants to kill Ronan the Accuser. Let him in."

 _...Ronan the Accuser?_

"You two! Hurry it up!" We catch up to them and we burst through the door, revealing one of the guards.

"We need all available guards in full combat gear..." He turns around slowly, and when he sees all of us, he raises his hands in the air, slowly... only to be taken down by Gamora.

Rocket immediately jumps onto the seat, messing with the controls on the board.

I sneak a look out the window, and see the guards all armed to the nines in Kevlar and holding dangerous looking guns.

"Uh, guys?" I call over my shoulder. "You might want to hurry up!"

"Shut up, woman!" Rocket growls, paws flying. "I'm at my top speed here! And why are you here, anyway?"

"Fire on my count!" the head guard outside yells. "Three..."

"We're gonna die surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy," Gamora mutters. I nod in agreement.

"Two..."

"Hurry up!" Peter shouts.

"One...!"

 _Oh, sweet mother of God. I'm going to die here._

BOOM!

All of a sudden, the orders turn into screams as guns, tables, and people start to float in the air. Oh, so _that_ was the plan.

"I told you I had a plan," Rocket says smugly, pressing another button, sending everything and everyone outside crashing to the ground.

"Okay..." I mutter. "Let's get out of here!"

We scramble, bolting out the door and down the hall, grabbing our clothes along the way.

"There it is," Peter says. "Get my ship. It's the Milano, the orange and blue one over in the corner."

As we near the ship, Gamora checks her pockets. "The Orb's in here. Let's go!"

"Wait, wait, wait." Peter stops, also checking his pockets. "That turd didn't put it back." He looks up at me. "Get to ship; I'll be right back." He turns on his heel and starts running back towards the prison.

"Peter!" I yell at him. "How are you gonna-"

"Just keep the Milano close by," he replies, dashing through the doors of the prison. I turn back toward the crew, who simply jog towards the ship. Sighing, I follow.

Rocket pilots the ship out into space, and he stops it a short distance away from the entrance.

"Well, how's he gonna get to us?" he asks. All eyes turn to me, and I fidget under the pressure.

"He never really specified..." I mutter, fiddling with my thumbs. "Just to keep the ship close by."

He growls. "Well, screw this, then! I ain't waiting around for some humie with a death wish. We have the Orb, right?"

Gamora nods. Then, all of a sudden, the dude with the tattoos, Drax, points outside.

"Behold." We all look outside to see Peter flying toward the ship, a mask covering his face. Instinctively, I touch the hollow behind my ear, my fingers touching metal.

He disappears next to the ship, and suddenly, a door opens and closes, and he enters, his mask disappearing.

Drax guffaws loudly. "This one shows spirit. He shall make a keen ally in the battle against Ronan. Companion, what were you retrieving?"

In response, Peter presses something at his side, and a cassette tape ejects from what looks like a Walkman.

 _I haven't seen one of those in years._

"...You're an imbecile."

 **sigh this is gonna be awkward... alright let's see how this goes**

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	3. Chapter 3

**heyo people~ littlehan-solo22 here and ready 2 write! sorry it took a while 2 get back i had school ;( so i'm annoyed a bit but i'm back 4 a while lets see what i came up w/**

 **Ella: thx 4 enjoying :) here is the next chpt if ur still reading**

Chapter 3

Sighing in content, I shove the polishing cloth back in my pocket and look down at my now clean plasma gun when I hear arguing in the next room. Something about making bombs out of plane parts. Then something about the Orb.

"If we're gonna work together, you might try trusting me a little bit," I hear Peter say.

"And how much do you trust me?" What sounds like Gamora replies.

Lots of talking ensues, then a small knock on the door. I look up to see the douchebag himself standing in the frame.

"Hey," he says, leaning on the metal. "So... How you doin'?"

I laugh quietly, making him smile for some reason. "Okay, I guess. Considering I just broke out of the Kyln. Anyway, what about you?"

He shrugs. "Eh. I've been in worse places."

"Ah. I bet, since I hear you're an outlaw." I put the gun down, then cross my arms over my chest. "So. What brings you here?"

"Oh, yeah. We're here. Knowhere."

Ah, Knowhere. A giant black market inside a celestial's head. I've made a few trips there, and him simply saying the word sends shivers up my spine. I'm not gonna lie, that place freaks me out.

"Great. I'll be out in a sec."

He nods, then, scratching the back of his neck, leaves the room.

Letting out a sigh, I shove the gun into its holster, adjust my utility belt, and step out of the room to join the rest of my fellow outlaws. And immediately, I hear yelling.

"Hey! Nobody is killing anybody on my ship! Now look, we're stuck together until we get the money-"

Drax interrupts him, "I have no interest in money."

I'm tempted to roll my eyes, but I resist the urge.

"Great," Peter mutters. "More money for the four of us." When Groot huffs loudly, he restates, "For the five of us."

Gamora turns and starts to walk away. "I'll let my buyer know that we're on our way. Oh, and Quill? Your ship is filthy."

He chuckles, and winks at me. "Oh, she has no idea. If I had a black light, the place would look like a Jackson Pollock painting."

I groan. "You've got issues, man. Serious issues."

[...]

We enter the head, and immediately, someone approaches us and tells us to wait. At those words, people start drifting off. And I guess I do too, since I find myself on some kind of balcony, looking down at the markets and out into space, watching some stardust dance across the window.

"So..."

I whip around, ready to slap the hell out of the person, only to find myself face to face with the douchebag. "Man, you scared the crap out of me. Don't do that."

He laughs, then rests his arms on the railing. "Sorry. Anyway, so you're Terran, right? Just like me?"

I nod. "Yup."

"So how did you end up in space?"

Closing my eyes, the memory comes back to me, and I suck in a deep breath. "Long story."

Peter shrugs, looking at me. "We've got time. Blow me away."

"Fine. Well, I was 10. It was nighttime, and my dad wasn't home. Went outside looking for him, found him dead with some weird people standing over him. Didn't know what to do, so I ran. Ran as hard and as fast as I could, but then..." I try to think. "I... I guess I just blacked out. And when I woke up, I was in some weird place that I didn't know."

Peter nods. "Get the feeling. Same thing happened to me. Well, kind of."

Laughing quietly, I run my hands over my arms, doing my best to ward off the cold. "Yeah. I try not to think of my past; it hurts too much." And then my eyes are drawn down to the Walkman. "I haven't seen one of those in years."

"What, this?" He takes it off and fiddles with it. "Yeah, my mom gave it to me. She always played on songs that she loved growing up. And I just happened to have it on me when..." He stops, swallowing. His eyes are faded and glassy; I'm guessing he's going down memory lane. "The day that she..."

...Oh, God. His mom died.

" _Daddy? Daddy, what's wrong? Daddy? **Daddy?**_ _DADDY!_ "

I instantly shake myself out of the memory. And I put a hand on his shoulder. "It's fine, dude. I understand. You don't have to say it."

He swallows, nodding in what seems to be thanks. "Yeah. So... that." He turns to me, sadness gone from his eyes, and replaced with a small twinkle that I instantly know I can't trust. "You wanna listen to it?"

The plastic gleams in the dim light, and I can't help but be captivated by it. "Sure."

He digs into his pockets, and in an instant, produces a pair of orange foam headphones. I'm hit with a wave of nostalgia; Daddy used to have a pair of those. He places them over my ears and presses a button.

 _But then I~_

"Fooled Around and Fell in Love," I whisper, pressing the headphones tighter to my ears. "Elvin Bishop. God, I haven't heard this in years!" I look up at him, tears beginning to fill my eyes. "Thank you. So much."

He simply grins, and, taking my hands in his own, steps forward and back, taking me with him, and spins me around. A laugh bubbles from my mouth; I haven't danced since Daddy's death.

And then he leans closer. His hands wrap around my waist, and pulls me closer to him.

 _I fooled around and fell in love~_

His body's warm, and his breath is blowing gently on my face.

 _I fooled around and fell in love, since I met you, baby~_

His lips are barely brushing mine. I start to close my eyes, and so does he.

" _No! Let me go! Stop it, you're hurting me! **You're hurting me; stop it! STOP!**_ "

I flinch, and lean away from him. He gives me a confused look, but I can't meet his eyes.

"No... I- I don't... It's just-"

All of a sudden, there's a loud commotion inside, and we both turn to see Drax and Rocket going at it.

"Oh, no," Peter mutters under his breath, and he enters the room. I can only follow him.

"-Well, I didn't ask to get made!" Rocket hollers, glaring daggers at everyone. "I didn't ask to be torn apart, and put back together, over and over and turned into some... Some little monster!"

"Rocket," I murmur, kneeling next to him, "no one's calling you a monster, okay? Calm down."

He turns to me, pure rage dancing in his eyes. "Oh, 'calm down', huh? You want me to _calm down?_ Let me shoot everyone here five or six times in the face, _then_ talk to me about _calming down!_ "

"Rocket." My voice is so quiet, I can barely hear myself. "Please. I'll let you take it out on me later, just not now, please?"

He doesn't say anything; he simply pants from anger, his paws clenched into tight fists. Then, slowly, he releases them. "...Fine. But I can't promise, when all of this is over, I'm not gonna kill every last one of you jerks."

Sighing in relief, I smile. "Thanks."

He glares at me, but looks away a second later. "...Don't look at me like that."

"Sorry." I get back up, ignoring shocked looks from everyone. Peter leads me away slightly, hiding me from everyone.

"How the hell did you do that?" he whispers harshly in my ear. I shrug.

"I... I don't know, actually."

And I glance over his shoulder to see a pink-skinned lady step her way towards Gamora. Peter looks at me, then turns to see what's happening.

"Milady Gamora," she says politely, her hands clasped in front of her. "I'm here to fetch you for my master."

Oh, lord. It's time.

 **hmm... lets see how this goes hope u enjoy see u later!**

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	4. Chapter 4

**heyo people~ littlehan-solo22 here and ready 2 write! so guys i haven't updated in 2 months and i'm so sorry about that plz forgive me :'(**

 **KawaiiBunnyKate: thank u so much! it's nice to know that my work is doing ok :D i hope u enjoy this chpt (if ur still reading of course)**

 **ZepiguezStones: thx 4 enjoying :D if ur still reading u will know about aster's tale soon and here is the next update!**

 **Guest: thx 4 loving it! here is the next update and thank u :)**

 **WARNING: since i forgot the entire movie, there are many scenes that do not fit the movie. people might say the wrong lines, or i might edit some lines out from the actual movie. plz be patient w/ me :/**

Chapter 4

"Okay..." I murmur quietly, sticking close to the group. "This isn't creepy. This isn't creepy at all."

I had always heard rumors of The Collector: he had the biggest collection in the entire galaxy. And now that I'm seeing it firsthand, I realize that it's true.

I don't realize we're stopping until I feel someone pull me back. But the hand doesn't leave my shoulder, and when I turn around, I see Peter with a serious expression on his face, mixed with a little fear.

Huh. That's interesting.

"I present to you," Carina states in a polite tone, making a fluid gesture toward a man, "Taneleer Tivan, The Collector."

The man turns around. Tall, extremely white hair that rises to the ceiling, as if he stuck his fingers in an electrical socket, dressed in furry robes. He locks eyes with me, and a trill of alarm runs through me. Despite his old appearance, I get the feeling that he's powerful. _Very_ powerful.

He approaches Gamora, and bows, taking her hand and kissing it. "Oh, my dear Gamora. How wonderful to meet in the flesh."

She snatches her hand away, saying, "Let's bypass the formalities, Tivan. We have what we discussed."

He nods absently, his eyes locking with mine again. He approaches me in that fluid way that makes me nervous with fear. "Now, now, what do we have here?" His hand brushes my cheek, sending a shiver down my spine. I'm suddenly pulled away from him, and pushed behind someone. Peter stands in front of me, facing The Collector.

"Oh, no, dude. Nothing to see here." He gestures with his head toward Gamora, who gives me a worried look. I nod, reassuring her that I'm fine.

"Hmm... Quite interesting..." He brushes past Peter and approaches me again. Rocket reaches for his gun, but I glare at him, and force my eyes to look back to the man in front of me. He stares into my eyes for a while. "Quite the past... Much pain... Your father?"

My blood turns to ice. At the words "Your father?", my eyes begin to tear up, but I suck it in. _I'm stronger than this. I can't let the group see me weak._ So I glare at him. He tilts his head, but finally walks away from me.

Peter replaces him, taking my face in his hands. His blue eyes show worry. "You alright?"

 _No. No, I'm not alright. He mentioned my father!_ That's what I want to say, but my voice doesn't work. I resort to shaking my head, and I try to walk away from him, but I'm pulled back. I find his thumb hooked into one of my belt loops. I glare at him, but he glares at me just as hard. Sighing, I just look away.

"Tivan," Gamora states, her voice steely. "We have been halfway around the galaxy, retrieving this Orb."

"Very well, then. Let us see what you brought."

We walk toward a large table, and Gamora pulls out the Orb and places it on the metal. The Collector takes it in his hands, delicately fiddling with it, as if he was playing with a bomb.

"So, quick question," I say. All eyes turn to me, and I fidget. "Why is this thing so important? I mean, we all fought like crazy over it, and we broke out of a prison for this thing. I just want to know. Why all the work for this thing?"

I expected everyone to dismiss it as a dumb question, but The Collector chuckles lightly, as if I'm a small child. "Oh, my new friend." I shiver at the word "friend".

"Before creation itself, there were 6 singularities. Then the universe exploded into existence, and the remnants of these systems were forged into concentrated ingots."

Suddenly, robotic hands appear out of nowhere, and start to twist the Orb around, before it cracks open, revealing a purple stone.

Two words suddenly pop into my mind: _Infinity Stones._

"These stones, it seems, can only be brandished by beings of extraordinary strength. Observe." With a wave of his hand, images appear above our heads. "These carriers can use the Stone to mow down entire civilizations, like wheat in a field. Once, for a moment, a group was abe to share the energy amongst themselves, but even they were quickly destroyed by it."

He gazes down at the stone, the purple light reflecting in his eyes. The sight unnerves me. "Beautiful. Beyond compare."

Suddenly, Rocket pipes up, clearly unimpressed with the unexpected storytime. "Blah, blah, blah. We're all fascinated, whitey. But we'd like to get paid."

 _And get the hell out of here,_ I think to myself. But I don't dare say it out loud, in case The Collector gets mad and decides to blow me up, or keep me here as a collectible. That thought makes me shiver.

"How would you like to get paid?" The Collector asks, brushing off Rocket's possible insult.

"What do you think, fancy man? Units!"

"Very well." He starts to move away, and that's when I notice Carina. She's slowly approaching the Stone, and I start to speak up, but the man does it for me. "Carina, don't!"

"I WILL NO LONGER BE YOUR SLAVE!" she shrieks, grabbing the Stone. The light becomes so intense, my eyes burn. Suddenly, Peter pushes me to the ground, behind a glass case, and strong arms wrap around me, pulling me close to him.

"Don't move," he whispers in my ear. His breath is hot against my skin, and it tickles.

BOOM!

My hand is wrapped in his, and I'm pulled away from the explosion. The gang is running beside me, and Peter is still gripping my hand tight.

"Dude, let go," I say to him. His grip leaves me, and we keep running. "What are we going to do now?" I call to the others. We have no plan whatsoever, since apparently, we didn't take the deal.

"We have to bring this to the Nova Corps," Peter says, glancing nervously at the Orb in Gamora's hands. "There's a chance they can contain it."

"Are you kidding me?!" Rocket cries out. "We're wanted by the Nova Corps. Just give it to Ronan!"

"So he can destroy the galaxy?" Peter retorts.

"What are you, some saint, all of a sudden? What has the galaxy ever done for you? Why would you want to save it?"

"Because I'm one of the idiots who lives in it!" Peter looks at me desperately, probably asking me for help.

"Rocket, Peter's right," I decide to say. "If we give it to Ronan, we all die. No question. If we can give it to someone who'll protect it and keep it safe..."

My voice dies. Gamora nods. "Aster and Peter are right. We can't give the Stone to Ronan. We have to go back to the ship and deliver it to Nova."

"Or..." Rocket intervenes, "we could give it to somebody who's not going to arrest us, who's really nice, for a whole lot of money."

Everyone starts bickering. I start feeling nervous, and then I can't take it anymore. 'Guys, _STOP IT!_ "

Everyone stops. They turn to look at me. My breath is shaky, and my hands tremble. Tears bite at my eyelids; I'm still upset by my father. "We have no time for this. Let's just get back to the ship, okay?"

Rocket's ears press to his skull, and he looks away. Gamora looks at the ground. Peter nods.

"You're right. We've got no time. Let's just head back to the ship and-"

Suddenly, there's a great rumble. We all look up to see a ship landing in front of us. Gamora's face pales. She shakes her head.

"That's impossible. He... He can't be..."

The landing pad opens, revealing a woman with blue skin, and a man with a big staff and black war paint covering his face."

"Ronan..." Gamora whispers. "He's here."

 **yaaaaaay new chpt hope u enjoy guys!**

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 **(oh and i have a wattpad account it's pretty new it's called** littlehansolo22 **so if u feel like it go check it out! :)**

 **also sorry if it was too long :(**


	5. Chapter 5

**heyo people~ littlehan-solo22 here and ready 2 write! i haven't updated in a while (so sorry :( plz be patient w/ me my school is punishing me w/ homework**

 **ZepiguezStones: thx 4 liking :D here is the next update hope u enjoy**

Chapter 5

"At last!" Drax bellows with a maniacal grin on his face. "I shall meet my foe and destroy him!"

But I don't feel as brave as him. In fact, I'm the exact opposite. My knees are shaking, my breath is caught in my throat, and my vision is blurry with fear.

A hard, chilly tone states, "Give us the Orb. Or you will be punished." A wave of nausea ripples through me, and I shiver.

Suddenly, I'm pulled back, and my back lands into something hard. I turn my head to see Peter, who gives me a determined look. He bends down and his breath warms my ear.

"Gamora's gonna run to the escape pods on the dock," he whispers. "When Drax tackles Ronan, that's the signal. Go with her. Make sure the Orb's safe."

And with that, he pulls away from me.

"You murdered my wife. You murdered my child!" I hear Drax say. "I'll kill you!" And with that, he lunges at Ronan.

Gamora grabs my hand and dashes for the pods. We run toward them until an idea pops in my head. I pull her aside and reach for my backpack.

"What are you doing?" she hisses. "We have to go!"

"I know, but I've got an idea." I pull out the Duplicate and press it into her palm. "They know that you have the Orb, so they'll keep chasing you. But if you look like me, and I look like you..." I grin. "You can get to the Milano without getting shot at."

"But..." She looks at me with a confused expression. "What about you, then? Nebula will kill you!"

"Don't worry about that," I mutter, trying not to think of the result. "Just use it and go." And without question, she attaches it to her ear, presses the button, and voila! she looks exactly like me. With a quick nod, she dashes to the nearest pod.

"Alright," I hiss under my breath, grabbing the second one and pressing the button. "Let's do this before I change my mind." And with that, I run toward the other.

But the second I'm in the air, I notice that the lady with blue skin, Nebula, I'm assuming, is following me. Perfect. I direct the pod in the opposite direction of the Milano and start flying, the blue lady at my "heels".

Suddenly, the intercom crackles to life. "You are a disappointment, sister. Out of all our siblings, I hated you the least." I turn the pod around to see Nebula in her ship, glaring at me. Then I realize that right now, I'm Gamora. I have to act as such.

"Nebula, please," I say. I have to distract her long enough for the real Gamora to get to the ship. "If Ronan gets this stone, he'll kill us all."

"Not all," she states coldly. "You will already be dead." And with that, I see a bolt of white. I hear explosions. I feel the air being sucked out of my lungs.

I feel myself dying.

[Peter's POV]

...No. This can't be happening.

I can see Aster's body floating among the bits and pieces of the broken pod. Her face is so pale, and ice is starting to form around her.

If I don't do something now, she'll die. No. No, that can't happen. It won't happen.

I slam my hand on the intercom. "Yondu? This is Quill. My coordinates are 227K324. Just outside Knowhere. If you're there, come get me. I'm all yours." I let go of the button and adjust my face mask.

"Quill? Don't be ridiculous." Now I hear Rocket over the speaker. "She's already dead, man! You can't fit two people in a pod!"

I ignore him, slide the door open, and step outside. Quickly, I start the rocket boots and make my way towards her.

 _Please don't die. Don't die on me. Please don't be dead._

I grab her cold face in my gloved hands and check her ear. A tiny device is attached to her skin. I press the button, and nothing happens.

 _Damn it. Her mask is broken._

I want to punch something. I've never been this angry since... since Mom.

 _No. Don't think about Mom. Think about the dying girl in front of you, who you could lose unless you think of something right now!_

An idea pops into my head. A stupid idea, since I could die before Yondu gets here... If he gets here.

 _Don't think about the negatives, Pete. Just do it._

And without a second thought, I press the button on my ear, detach the mask projector, and place it on her. Air rushes out of my lungs, and I feel cold. Colder than life itself.

The mask materializes on her face, and I can hear a small hissing in the dead silence. I smile.

Suddenly, lights fill up the darkness, and the Ravager ship appears in front of my eyes. I don't have time to feel complete horror in my bones, because we're being sucked in.

Empty space is replaced with cold hard metal and pipes. I suck in sweet air, and press the button on the mask projector, revealing a coughing, shuddering Aster.

I sigh in relief. She's alive. She's okay. She's safe.

Her lips are blue, and the ice on her face still hasn't melted. Her blond hair is tangled and messy, like she just got out of bed.

And she's beautiful.

"P- Pe- Peter?" she stutters, her green eyes darting around. "Wha- What happened? Whe- Where are we?"

"The Ravager ship. My old place." I stare down at her. "You, Aster, are the most stupidest girl I've ever met. Why did you do that?"

Shivering, she pulls herself up and wraps her arms around her knees. "Good idea at the time."

"Well, you're still stupid. And you owe me for saving your life." She just nods. Sighing, I grip her shoulders. "Listen. You did good, alright? You're safe. You're alive. And the team's gonna be here soon-"

The door slides open, revealing a tired Gamora. Instantly, I know something's wrong.

"Gamora. What's wrong?"

She shakes her head. "The Orb... I lost it."

...God damn it.

 **XD**

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 **my bunny**


	6. Chapter 6

**heyo people~ littlehan-solo22 here and ready 2 write! lol i think i'm gonna get spammed a lot for not updating as often... sorry about that. i really have no excuse**

 **KawaiiBunnyKate: aww thx! hopefully u'll enjoy this update... if ur still reading of course :)**

Chapter 6

[Aster's POV]

"Welcome home," I hear someone say from behind me. Peter doesn't seem very happy to be home, though, judging by his scowl.

"Yay," he mutters under his breath, standing up and pulling me to my feet. Gamora moves from the door and stands beside me, giving me a worried look.

"I'm sorry," she whispers as a blue-skinned man in a red leather coat walks in the room. "I... I saw what happened back there. It was very noble of you to sacrifice yourself for me."

I smile at her. "Relax, Gamora. It's nothing; don't worry about it. I actually rather not think about it."

She nods in understanding, and we turn our attention to the interaction between Peter and the weird man.

"-So you decide to betray me?" the man is saying, rolling his eyes. "Steal my money? Boy, you should be grateful! When I picked you up as a kid, these boys wanted to eat you. They ain't never tasted Terran before. I saved your life!"

"Will you shut up about that?" Peter grumbles, crossing his arms and giving the man a dirty look. "Twenty years, and you're still throwing the same thing in my face, like not eating me is some great thing. Well, you know what? Normal people don't even think about eating someone else! Also, why the hell should I be grateful to you? You abducted me, man. You stole me from my home and from my family."

I blink my eyes. Either I'm still dizzy, or Peter looks like he's about to cry. In fact, I swear it's the same look as when he was trying to talk about his dead mom back at Knowhere.

 _...And then we're dancing. He smiles, pulls me closer to him, and leans in, his breath hitting my face in small puffs. His blue eyes are bright, and-_

"Youdu, listen to me." Gamora's deadly voice cuts through my weird thoughts, and I refoucs on the conversation at hand. "Ronan has something called an Infinity Stone."

The blue man, who I'm assuming is Yondu, chortles. "I know what he's got, girl."

"Then you must know how to get it back," I say, deciding to put myself in, to prevent weird thoughts from going in my head. "He's gonna use it to wipe out Xandar. He can kill thousands of innocents if we don't stop him!"

Yondu lifts an eyebrow, then walks closer to me. On instinct, I back up, until I remember that I shouldn't be afraid of a strange blue man, so I stand my ground and look at him dead in the eye.

He laughs. "Got some spunk, kid. We could use someone like you."

"Yondu." Peter's voice cuts the air, harsh and cold. "Leave. Her. Alone."

He sighs, then walks away. I let out a small breath. Twice now, two complete strangers show some kind of strange interest in me, and twice Peter stood up to them for me.

This day is _really_ boosting up my confidence. Please, note the sarcasm.

"Sorry, boy. A captain's gotta teach his men what happens to those who cross him." Yondu makes a gesture with his head, and a massive crowd of aliens appear behind him, all carrying some serious artillery, enough to kill us ten times over.

"Peter?" I whisper, wrapping my fingers around the handle of my plasma gun, which, surprisingly, hasn't wandered off into space.

He glances at me out of the corner of his eye, and he gives me a tiny smile, as if to say, _Trust me. I got this._

He turns back to Yondu, and says, "If you kill me now, you are saying goodbye to the biggest score you have ever seen."

Yondu scoffs. "The Stone? I hope you got something bigger than that." His eyes seem to go to me when he says that line. "Because nobody here is stealing from Ronan."

I'm about to say something when Peter replies, "Okay, then. Gamora here knows everything there is to know about Ronan. His ships, his army. In other words, he's vulnerable. So what do you say, Yondu?" He opens up his arms a little, making himself vulnerable. His signature smirk is plastered on his face. "Me and you, taking down a mark side-by-side, like the old days?"

Yondu stares at him for a while; so long, it seems like forever. Then, he lifts an arm. "Let him go."

The aliens all grumble as they lower their weapons. They were definitely in here for the food. I shiver at the thought. I don't think I like the idea of being chewed up and digested.

Suddenly, a loud piercing scream fills the air, making everyone cover their ears. It's soon replaced by static, which is replaced by a voice. Loud, kind of whiny.

Rocket.

"Attention, idiots. The lunatic on top of this craft is holding a Hadron Enforcer. It's a weapon of my own design. If you don't hand over our companions now, he's gonna tear your ship a new one." After a few seconds, he adds, "A very big new one."

Yondu chuckles. "I don't buy it."

"I'm giving you to the count of five," Rocket's staticy voice continues. "Five... Four... Three..."

"Oh, sh*t," Peter mumbles, and he rushes to the ship intercome. "Rocket! It's me, for God's sakes! We're all sorted out here, and we're fine."

"Oh, hey, Quill. What's up?"

I sigh, and turn to Yondu. "Excuse me, Yondu, sir. Do you mind if our ship can... land here? Is that possible?"

He lifts an eyebrow. "...Sure, why not." But as I turn to Peter and Gamora, who seem to be talking to Rocket through the intercom, I hear him say, "Kid, if you ever want to be a Ravager, my offer still stands."

I don't reply.

 **lol this is a PHENOMENAL filler chapter if u ask me. i think it's quite fantastic *goes off to die in a hole***

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 **my bunny**


	7. Chapter 7

**heyo people~ littlehan-solo22 here and ready 2 write! lol i have so much motivation for this story... but not really for the other ones. man, i need to get my act together. but on the bright side, i'm on summer break, so i can update my stories more often, including this one. let's do this!**

 **now that i rewatched the movie, i feel really stupid. some of the events don't match up at all! i'm thinking of maybe a rewrite of the chapters i got wrong. what do u guys think?**

 **KawaiiBunnyKate: thank you so much for liking this! 3 and thank you for being patient w/ me... if ur still reading, that is ;)**

Chapter 7

"YOU CALL THAT 'FIGURED IT OUT'?" Rocket bellows. "We're gonna rob the guys who just beat us senseless?"

"You wanna talk about senseless?" Peter retorts. "How about trying to save us... by blowing us up?!"

"He is... kinda right, Rocket," I say quietly, so as to not invoke his wrath. "If we died, you wouldn't have solved anything."

"Oh, not you too," he mumbles, glaring at me with his beady eyes. "Look, we were only gonna blow you up if they didn't turn you guys over!"

"And how were they gonna turn us over if you only gave them a count of 5?!"

"Well, we didn't have time to work out the minutiae of the plan." Rocket sighs, turning to Groot, who was sitting silently next to him. "This is what we get for acting altruistically."

"I am Groot."

"You're right; they are ungrateful."

I sigh, having had enough of the testosterone-fuelled argument between the two. "Guys, that's enough. The important thing is that we get the Ravagers to help us save Xandar."

Rocket rolls his eyes, but when he talks, his voice is a lot more quiet. "So we can give the Stone to Yondu who's just gonna sell to somebody even worse?"

"We'll figure that part out later," Gamora replies. "But we need to stop Ronan."

I look at her. "How?"

Peter turns to look at me, a determined flash in his blue eyes. "I have a plan."

" _You've_ got a plan?" Rocket practically spits out.

Peter hesitates for a few seconds before saying, "...Yes."

"Okay, first of all," the raccoon starts, pointing accusingly at Peter, "you're copying me from when I said I had a plan."

"No, I'm not. People say that all the time; it's not that unique of a thing to say."

"Boys..." I mutter, glaring at them. Both turn to look at me, muttering something like "sorry".

"Secondly, I don't even believe you have a plan."

"I have..." Peter hesitates again. "...Part, of a plan!"

"What percentage of a plan do you have?" Drax asks, glancing upward at him.

"You," Gamora spits out, pointing at him, "don't get to ask questions after that nonsense you pulled on Knowhere."

Drax sputters. "But... I just saved Quill!"

"We've already established that you destroying the ship that I'm on is _not_ saving me."

"When did we establish it?"

"Like... 3 seconds ago!"

"I wasn't listening," Drax mutters, gazing of into the distance. "I was... thinking of something else."

I can't stop myself from snickering. At this point, anything can make me laugh.

"Gamora's right; you don't get an opinion. And Aster, stop laughing!"

I stop. Rocket looks dead serious.

"Thank you. Anyway, what percentage, Quill?"

Peter sighs. "I don't know. 12 percent."

"12 percent?" Rocket asks. Then, all of a sudden, he bursts out laughing. Like, an actual, hysterical laugh.

"Is that a fake laugh?" I ask.

"It's real!" he replies. "That was the most real, authentic, hysterical laugh of my entire life!" He then turns to face Peter. "Because _that_ is _not_ a plan!"

"It's barely a concept," Gamora murmurs next to me.

"You're taking their side?!"

"I am Groot," Groot mutters. Of course.

"So what, it's better than 11 percent? What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Rocket asks the tree humanoid.

"Thank you, Groot. Thank you." Peter leans over and pats him on the back. "See? Groot's the only one of you who has a clue."

Meanwhile, Groot is proceeding to eat a leaf on one of the branches that are sprouting from his... armpit?

Peter sighs. "Look, guys. Come on. Yondu is gonna be here in 2 seconds. He expects to hear this big plan of ours." He looks up and his eyes lock on me. "I need your help."

At the moment, my shoes are more interesting. Peter makes a point, but I mean, how can I help? I'm just an ordinary thief.

"I look around at us. You know what I see? Losers."

Wait a minute, what? "Excuse me?"

"No, not like that. I mean, like..." Peter huffs, and places his hands on his hips. "Folks who have lost stuff. And we have. Man, we have. All of us. Our homes, our families... Normal lives."

Everyone stays silent. At his words, I remember Terra. Earth. Home. My dad and the farm. Our nights spent stargazing and him pointing out beautiful constellations in the pitch black night sky. Him telling me that he loved me.

"And usually, life takes more than it gives."

His dead body at the pink alien's feet.

"But not today. Today, it's given us something. It's given us a chance."

"To do what?" I hear Drax ask.

"To give a sh*t. For once. Not run away."

I suck in a deep breath. That sentence hits close to home.

"I, for one, am not gonna stand by and watch as Ronan wipes out billions of innocent lives."

Next to me, Rocket sighs. And his voice is quiet. "But, Quill, stopping Ronan... It's impossible." He looks up. "You're asking us to die."

Everyone is silent. I feel sick. If I agree to sign up on this mission, I'm going to die. There is no doubt about it.

 _"Daddy?" I say, looking up at him. "Can a hero be scared?"_

 _"Oh, sweetheart," he chuckles, sitting down next to me and lifting me into his lap. "Of course they can. Everyone gets scared once in a while. But heroes don't run away from their problems. They face it head on, knowing that they could face big dangers. But they do it anyway. They're brave. And so are you." He looks at me, his lips tugged upward in a smile and his eyes crinkling at the edges. "You're my hero, Aster."_

"Peter."

Everyone turns to look at me.

Wringing my hands together, I stand up, and give him a brave smile. "I'm a coward. I run away from every problem I face. But even I know when it's time to stop running, and start being a hero." I shrug. "And besides, I've got nothing to lose. Let's go kill that psycho."

Peter smiles and nods.

Gamora stands up too. "I have lived most of my life surrounded by my enemies." She takes my hand and smiles. "I will be grateful to die among my friends."

I grip her hand tightly and nod.

Drax is next to stand. He pats Peter on the shoulder. "You are an honorable man, Quill. I will fight beside you. And in the end, I will see my wife and daughter again."

There's a thump, and Groot rises. "I am Groot." I don't know what he's saying, but I'm assuming that he's in also.

Now, the only person left is Rocket. He sighs, and I look at him, giving him a warm smile. As much as I hate to admit it, I've grown fond of his smart mouth. And the plan can't work without him.

He sighs, and stands on the box he was sitting on. "Oh, what the hell. I don't got that long a lifespan, anyway." But after a short moment of silence, he adds, "Now I'm standing. Y'all happy? We're all standing up now. Bunck of jackasses, standing in a circle."

I sigh. "Love you too, Rocket."

 **lol this sucks bye**

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 **my bunny**


	8. Trailer

**i recently watched the new GOTG2 trailer and i gotta say that i am PUMPED! once i get my crap together then i'm gonna start working on my stories again. i promise guys! sorry for making you wait so long, and when it's finally over it's just for a taste of season 2.**

 **so basically what this is is if my OC aster was in the trailer. basically it's bull sh*t**

 _As a giant spaceship rises in the air, Gamora faces off with an alien monster._

"The fate of the universe lies on your shoulders."

 _Star-Lord and Aster watch as more spaceships rise. Turning his head toward her, he holds out his hand. Without any hesitation, she takes it._

"Now whatever you do..."

 _Drax launches himself toward another monster, knives in his hands, letting loose a war cry._

"...Don't push this button."

 _The countdown starts ticking down from 5 minutes._

"Because that'll set off the bomb immediately and we'll all be dead."

Baby Groot looks up at Rocket in wonder, letting out a small noise.

"Now repeat back what I just said."

Groot, after a slight moment of hesitation, points at the death button. "I am Groot."

"NO!" Rocket screams, shaking his hands. "That's the button that'll kill everyone. Try again."

"I am Groot," he starts.

"Mm hmm."

"I am Groot," he continues, gesturing with his tiny wood hands.

"Uh huh."

Groot points at the button again. "...I am Groot."

Rocket shoves his haands through his fur. "NOOOOOO!"

 _The Guardians are standing at the top of an unknown tower with strange devices. As Drax lets out a war cry, Star-Lord holds a small device in his hands, looking around._

"Show time, a-holes."

 _Rocket presses a button, launching several screaming Ravagers into the air. Meanwhile, Peter pushes a switch and flies the Milano away from the army of robot ships that are shooting multiple plasma blasts at him._

 **STAR-LORD**

 _Pressing the button to his helmet, he flies off on his rocket boots._

 **GAMORA**

 _With a running start, she jumps up and stabs a monster with her swords._

 **DRAX**

"Screw you, spaceships!"

 _As he screams, he attacks the fleshy wall as guts and alien blood spray in his face._

 **ROCKET**

 _As Baby Groot cheers him on, Rocket lets out a cheerful yell as he continues firing his blasters._

 **BABY GROOT**

 _With a loud (and quite adorable) yell, he chases the fearful guard and, after wrapping thick branches around the guard's ankles, lets out another (adorable) scream, and throws him off the catwalk._

 **ASTER**

 _Wielding her plasma guns, she faces the monsters with a stone-like look._

"Alright, you d*cks. Time to die."

...

"Does anybody have any tape out there? I want to put some tape over the death button."

"Uh, Rocket," _Aster calls to him, firing at a rogue robot,_ "I highly doubt anyone here has tape."

"Not a _single_ person has tape?!"

"I thought you had tape! You carry an atomic bomb around!"

"I have to do _everything_ around here!"

"Just one of the reasons why we love you, Rocket. But in all honesty, we are wasting a whole lot of time with this discussion-"

"I AM GROOT!" _the little Groot cries, carrying the bomb device in his arms._

 _Rocket immediately turns around and frowns._ "...That's a really bad sign."

...

 _Mantis reaches out and touches Peter's hand._ "If I touch someone, I can feel their feelings." _She starts to smile as she leans toward him._ "You feel... love."

 _Peter looks around, clearly uncomfortable._ "Yeah, I guess... Yeah, I feel a general, unselfish love for just about every-"

"No! _Sexual_ love." _She points towards Aster._ "For her!"

"NOOO!" _Peter cries out, frantically looking at her, his heart thudding in his chest as he watches her stare back at him._

 _Gamora lifts an eyebrow, and carefully pulls Aster behind her, as if to protect her. Drax just starts to guffaw._

 _As he points at Peter, he bellows out,_ "She just told everyone your deepest, darkest secret!"

"Dude, come on!" _Peter mutters._ "I think you're overreacting a little bit."

"YOU MUST BE SO EMBARRASSED!"

 _Aster looks down at her shoes, a bright red blush dusting her cheeks._

 _Drax jumps up and down in his seat out of pure excitement._ "Do me, do me!"

 _ **in cinemas 2017 - be on the lookout this movie is gonna be AMAZING!**_

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 **my bunny**


	9. Chapter 8

**heyo people~ littlehan-solo22 here and ready 2 write! i know i haven't been updating a lot, and that's on me. i mostly was updating my anime story so... yea what a nerd i am huh?**

 **KawaiiBunnyKate: alright then i'll leave the chapters alone :) thx for reading!**

 **btw i went to disneyland on saturday and went on the mission breakout ride. it was AWESOMEEEE and in my opinion it's a worthy successor of the tower of terror**

 **ps. i watched gotg vol. 2 and that was also AWESOMEEEEE**

Chapter 8

Before the meeting starts, I sit on a bench in the changing room, staring at my new clothes.

I'm about to grab my plasma guns to give them a (final) polish, but my fingers only meet the rough surface of wood.

Great. I signed myself up for a suicide mission, and I don't even have a weapon.

Well, I can always grab something from the armory.

With a sigh, I start to take off my shirt when I hear a slight cough from behind. My eyes widen.

 _The hell?!_

I turn around to see Peter leaning against the doorframe, a hint of red dusting his cheeks.

"Well," he says, taking care to avoid eye contact with me, which is just as well, since I would've killed him with my bare hands. "I... just... wanted to see how you were doing." He lifts up his hands. "I definitely didn't come for a strip show. Promise!"

I lift an eyebrow.

He sighs, and runs a hand through his hair. "Look. Just dropped by to say that the meeting's gonna start soon."

"Oh. Alright. I'll be there."

He looks like he's about to say something else, but he simply shuts his mouth and walks away.

I chuckle. For a supposed playboy, he certainly doesn't act like one.

[...]

"The Stone reacts to anything organic," Gamora explains. "The bigger the target, the bigger the power surge."

"So, just to clarify," I ask, raising my hand, "the Stone gets stronger if it meets a bigger life source?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Just making sure."

Rocket chuckles next to me.

"All Ronan's gotta do," Peter continues, "is bring the Stone to the planet's surface and _zap!_ " He claps his hands for effect, making me jump. Rocket chuckles again. "All plants, animals, Nova Corps-"

"Everything will die."

"In other words, Ronan _cannot_ make it to the surface. Rocket will lead a team to blow a hole in the Dark Aster's starboard hull." Peter grabs a screen and pulls it across to the screen showing the Dark Me ship. I mean, the Dark Aster. "Then our craft and Yondu's craft will enter."

"Won't there be hundreds of Sakaaran soldiers inside?" one of the Ravagers asks.

"I think of Sakaarans as paper people," Drax mutters.

 _Of course you do,_ I think to myself. But at least someone's relatively enthusiastic about our suicide mission.

"Once they know we're on board," Gamora continues, "Ronan will isolate himself behind impenetrable security doors on deck."

"Which you can disable..." I mutter. "...Right?"

She gives me a half smile. "Yes. By dismantling the power source."

"We make it to the flight deck," Peter says, patting my shoulder, "and I'll use the Hadron Enforcer to kill Ronan."

"Once Ronan is dead, we'll retrieve the Stone. Use these devices..." A box is passed around filled with a sphere-shaped... thing. "...to contain it. If you touch it..." She gives everyone a hard look. "...it will kill you."

"Alright," Peter announces, clapping his hands. "Anyone have anything else to add?"

I think to myself. It sounds like a relatively solid plan, but still... I have the feeling that something's missing...

Or should I say...

Someones.

I raise my hand.

"Yes, Aster?"

"Since we're going to Xandar," I say, trying not to sound stupid, "shouldn't we at least contact the Nova Corps? I mean, they're probably not gonna listen to us, but it is their planet. Shouldn't we give them a heads up?"

Peter lifts an eyebrow. "Under normal circumstances, I would say 'no.'"

"But these aren't normal circumstances, aren't they?" I retort.

He shakes his head. "No. They're not. Do what you gotta do. Hopefully they'll believe we're trying to help."

"There's one more thing we need to complete the plan," Rocket interjects. He points to a Ravager with a mechanical eyeball. "That guy's eye."

My eyes widen. "No, Rocket. You don't need that guy's eye. That's his _eye!_ "

"No, seriously, Aster, I mean it." He snickers, scratching his nose. "It's... it's very important to me."

"Clearly," I mutter.

"Ronan's fleet has been spotted," a robotic voice announces from the speakers. "It will arrive in T-minus 15 minutes."

The team starts to get ready, and I go belowdeck to contact the Nova Corps.

 _But who? I mean, I'll be blocked from the Prime, and Saal would rather rip my head off than listen to anything I have to say. I don't know any other soldier except... Dey, maybe? I mean, he hates my guts, but he's the most reasonable... right?_

"Aster."

I jump from the unexpected voice. "Oh. Rocket. What's up? Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

He shakes his head. "Nah, I'm waiting up for Groot. And besides, I have something." He hands over something covered in a white cloth.

With a raised eyebrow, I take the package, which is surprisingly light, and peel off the cloth to see... "Seriously, Rocket? You stole my guns?"

He guffaws. "And you didn't even see me take it! HA! You're so easy to steal from, and you're a thief! HAHA!" He finally calms down and takes a deep breath. "Anyway, I made some improvements to it. I replaced the plasma with hydrocitronic acid*." He snickers. "This sucker can melt through anything. Also, you can convert the acid to energy blasts with the switch. If you leave it as is, it'll just be pure melt-off-your-face!" He points to a tiny switch near the trigger, easily reached by my thumb.

I throw the guns in the air. "It's so light!"

He chuckles. "Yeah. That's the acid. Stronger than plasma, a third the weight. Probably feels like you're lifting air, compared to that dead weight you carried around."

For once, I'm at a loss for words. Rocket Raccoon, the meanest creature you'd ever meet on any side of the galaxy, did something nice? And for me?

"I..." I stutter, shoving the guns in my holster. "I don't know what to say, man. That was... really nice of you."

"Of course I'm nice," he mutters. "I ooze nice."

"Seriously," I say. "Thank you."

He waves his hand. "Don't even bother. I just did it 'cause it was practical, not because I wanted to. Anyway, don't you need to contact those Nova freaks?" He turns and pads away, probably to go find Groot.

I smile. "Thanks again, Rocket!"

"Shut up! Do _not_ make me regret fixing those!"

"You won't! I promise!"

With a smile, I turn around and prepare myself for the upcoming call.

 **whoooo i finally updated something other than anime! even tho it's probably terrible i'm still relatively proud**

 **also hydrocitronic acid is something i made up! it is NOT real! i promise!**

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